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When: "Antony and Cleopatra" at 8:30 p.m. Friday and Aug. 4, 6, 8 and 10; "As You Like It" at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Aug. 7, 9 and 11

Where: Miller Outdoor Theatre, Hermann Park

Tickets: Free reserved-seat tickets are available at the box office, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on the day of performance; milleroutdoortheatre.com.

Love is in the air at this year's Houston Shakespeare Festival, with the tragic historical romance "Antony and Cleopatra" opening Friday and the fanciful romantic comedy "As You Like It" opening Saturday.

You might say love is a theme behind the scenes, too - as two pairs of married theater artists are key participants this year.

One couple are Houston native Brandon Dirden and Crystal Dickinson, both up-and-coming New York stage stars making their festival debuts. Dickinson plays Cleopatra in "Antony and Cleopatra" and Celia in "As You Like It." Dirden plays Caesar in "Antony and Cleopatra" and Duke Frederick/Corin in "As You Like It."

The other pair are director Leah Gardiner and actor Seth Gilliam, returning after their strong contributions to the 2011 festival.

Gardiner, who helmed "Othello" in 2011, returns to direct "Antony and Cleopatra." In demand as a director at theaters across America, Gardiner has led "Fences" at Ashland's Oregon Shakespeare Festival, "Topdog/Underdog" at Philadelphia Players Company and "Sucker Punch" at Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Gilliam, who starred in "Othello," returns to play Antony, as well as Jacques in "As You Like It." He is best known for his recurring roles in HBO's "Oz" and "The Wire" and his work in films such as "Courage Under Fire" and "Did You Hear About the Morgans?"

Alley Theatre company member Chris Hutchison is another key player, cast as Touchstone in "As You Like It" and Enobarbus in "Antony and Cleopatra."

"As You Like It," the Bard's wistful comedy about a group of banished characters finding love in the magical Forest of Arden, is being directed by Marc Masterson, artistic director of South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, Calif.

This year's performances are dedicated to the memory of festival founder Sidney Berger, who died in February. Director of the University of Houston School of Theatre from 1969 to 2007, Berger also served as the festival's producing director from 1975 to 2010.